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Thursday, October 18, 2012

Fall is my favorite season, even though I do not get to experience the beautiful colors of the changing leaves were I live. I know that I am very fortunate to have a tropical setting to live in, but looking at the beautiful fall colors always makes me a little wishful. This is also my favorite time of year because I get to bake quite regularly with one of my favorite ingredients, pumpkin.

A few days ago I realized that I hadn't made friands in a long time. They are very popular in Australia, and you will find a version of them in almost every cafe. They are a little like a muffin, but lighter. The main ingredients in a friand are almond meal, powdered sugar, flour, and egg whites, and chocolate or fruit is a popular additional flavoring. Most friands are made in an oval-shaped friand pan. However, you can easily substitute a muffins tin like I did - mine was square.

My choice of flavoring last time was raspberry and I used a recipe from an Australian cookbook. I searched for a recipe that was pumpkin-flavored but could not find one, so used a basic recipe by Donna Hay and created my own.

Friands are such a nice treat to enjoy because they are not heavy, and the almond meal gives them a nice nutty flavor. As usual the hardest part is waiting for them to cool down so I can dust them with powdered sugar and enjoy them with a cup of coffee. Next time I am going to make a double batch because 10 friands just don't last very long.

I have a confession to make - I been stalking my mailman (actually lady). Waiting not so patiently for a package to arrive, and wondering each day if today would be the lucky day? What was I waiting for you may ask? It was the latest book by Kathleen King, the founder and owner of Tate's Bake Shop - Tate's Bake Shop: Baking for Friends. I was like a kid at Christmas when it arrived, ripping the package open and flipping through the pages - and this was before I even got through my front door. And I am doing a giveaway too!

A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to win a copy of her first cookbook Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook and some amazing cookies. The book was wonderful and the cookies were gone in a few days. I even kept the box that the cookies came in because it was so pretty. I think that the cookies were so good because of the philosophy of Kathleen King, which is use the freshest, preservative-free ingredients possible - real butter, all-natural chocolate, farm-fresh eggs. With her no-nonsense approach to baking it is no wonder that she has won numerous awards and her store is regarded as a "must-visit" when in the area. And seriously, how cute is the bakery itself; how could you not feel welcomed when visiting and enjoying a cookie, brownie, or any of their other delicious treats?

Once I opened the package I just knew I was in for a treat. The cover looks so inviting and I couldn't wait to sit down and enjoy reading it with a good cup of coffee. I am like that - I read cookbooks like they are a novel. Reading the introduction usually gives me a good insight into the person behind the book. As I read through it I found myself nodding in agreement with things like "I loved to see the joy on people's faces as they bit into those cookies", "life can get hectic", and "don't be too concerned about making a picture-perfect dessert". My favorite quote is at the end of the introduction - "...it's also about sharing - connecting with the people in your life. Let them inspire you, and enjoy the process." There are also some great tips when it comes to baking the recipes themselves.

The book is divided into seven chapters and has over 120 recipes for amazing muffins, scones, quick breads, pies, cookies, and so much more. There were so many recipes that caught my eye whilst reading through the book that I kept wondering how I was going to choose my first one to try. In the end I decided that there is no better place than to begin than at the beginning, and chose the first recipe in the book, Apple Crumb Muffins. I decided that I am going to work my way through the recipes in the book from start to end. It may take a while, but I have a feeling that it is going to be very enjoyable.

As mentioned at the beginning of the recipe the ingredient list may seem a little long, but I found that there were a few common ingredients between the topping and the muffins, so measuring didn't take long, and the rest came together very quickly. I loved the consistency of the crumb topping. To me it seemed a little more moist than usual but it made an outstanding crunch on the top of the muffins. Do make sure you measure your chopped apple because you may need more than one. My apples - Granny Smith's - were a little small and I needed two of them to get the right amount required for the recipe. I followed the recipe exactly as written and it did make 10 beautifully plump muffins.

The smell from the oven as these were baking was intoxicating, and I was glad that they were ready in 20 minutes. The hard part was waiting for them to cool. I couldn't resist picking the topping off of one of the muffins to try. It was crunchy, crumbly, cinnmony and oh-so-good but I don't know if that was the best idea since it made the wait for the rest of the muffin even harder. I have to be truthful and tell you that I only waited a few minutes for it to cool so I wouldn't burn my fingers too much. It was a little hard to get out of the pan and that is why you should wait. Just call me Mrs. Impatient but that muffin was worth it. As I was enjoying it I was thinking that these would be an excellent muffin on Thanksgiving morning, especially with a handful of cranberries thrown in to the batter.

The recipes in the book are very well set out and easy to follow. Some of the names are really cute - who could resist Chubby Tates or "Church Lady" Vanilla Icing, and there is such a great variety of recipes including some for health & lifestyle baking. I also loved the photographs in this book taken by Alexandra Rowley. There are very few props in the photos making the baked goods the star. She highlights the goodies in a way that makes you want to reach out and grab one to enjoy. Tate's Bake Shop is offering readers of this blog $5.00 off Tate's Bake Shop: Baking for Friends - and it is an autographed copy! All you have to do is visit TatesBakeShop.com and enter the discount code BAKEOFF. Also, check out the Baking for Friends Bake-Off contest on Facebook. The Grand Prize is $1000, and 5 winners will receive a KitchenAid stand mixer and a copy of Tate's Bake Shop: Baking for Friends.

And it gets even better. I am doing a giveaway with a great prize!

Main Entry
To enter the giveaway all you have to do is visit Tate's Bake Shop and then come back and leave a comment telling me what you item you would order if you were to visit the store - please try to be specific and don't just say a muffin or a cookie.

Additional Entries
Even more chances to win - you can receive up to two additional entries by doing the following:

Following All That's Left Are The Crumbs on Facebook - leave an additional comment to let me know that you are following.

Following Tate's Bake Shop on Facebook - leave an additional comment to let me know that you are following.

The Fine Print

Deadline for entry is Wednesday, October 24, 2012 at 6:00PM HST.

This giveaway is open only to US addresses.

One winner will be chosen at random using Random.org. I will announce the winner at the top of this post and send them an email. If I do not have a response within 48 hours, another winner will be selected.

The winner will receive a Tate's Bake Shop Cookie and Bar Tower - which is an assortment of
goodies including blondies, brownies, and a selection of their famous
cookies (prize supplied directly to the winner by Tate's Bake Shop).

Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of Tate's Bake Shop: Baking for Friends, but this is my honest opinion of the book and I was not compensated for my review. Tate's Bake Shop is also providing a prize for the winner of my giveaway.

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400℉. Butter ten 3-by-1½- inch muffins cups.

To make the crumb topping: In a small bowl, work together the flour, butter, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon with your fingertips until the mixture is crumbly.

To make the muffins: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Stir in the apple.

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, applesauce, vegetable oil, egg, yolk, and vanilla well. Pour over the apple mixture and stir until just combined. Do not over-mix.

Using a ⅓-cup food portion scoop or a spoon, transfer equal amounts of the batter into the prepared muffin cups. The cups will be full. Sprinkle the crumbs evenly on the muffins

Bake until a wooden toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of a muffin, about 20 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on the rack.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

This little guy was so patient while I was taking his picture. He hung around for a while, and then kind of looked up as if to say 'this has been fun but I gotta go'. I wonder if he knew that I had to go too since I wanted to make some ANZAC biscuits?

ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Armed Corps, and ANZAC Day marks the anniversary of the first major military action
fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War, and is now a day of remembrance for all who have served and died for their country and occurs on April 25. It is thought that ANZAC biscuits came into being when family members wanted to send something to their loved ones but needed something that would not spoil during their long journey overseas. Eggs were omitted from the recipe, mainly because they were very hard to come by at the time, and also for the longevity of the biscuit. According to both Australian and New Zealand law they are never to be referred to as cookies - I didn't know this.

Once you add the baking soda mixture to the butter/syrup mixture it will bubble up.

I love making these biscuits throughout the year. On my last visit to Australia I brought back golden syrup with me so I would have it on hand to make these - well not just these since I love it on toast too. I do love the brand from Australia because it is a little stronger (which you can buy online but it is expensive), but you can also get Lyle's Golden Syrup from Whole Foods, King Arthur Flour, and World Market. These biscuits are delicious, super easy and as mentioned above keep very well.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

A few days ago I was amazed to discover that I have a magic cupboard in my kitchen. How cool is that? All I have to do is put a can of condensed milk in there and when I get it back out a few days later, it has turned into dulce de leche. This is so convenient since I haven't been able to buy a tin of it here. On the other hand it also shows how hot my kitchen has been, which is not so fun.

The condensed milk was to be used in a passion fruit cheesecake, so the fact that it was caramelized was not going to work in that recipe. I quickly went out and got a new tin so I could make my cheesecake but then I was left with a can of dulce de leche. After a quick search I found a couple of recipes for alfajores which are a soft shortbread-like cookie that has caramel sandwiched in the middle and powdered sugar sprinkled on top. They are very popular in Latin America and some areas of Spain. I thought they would be very popular in my household too.

The first recipe that caught my attention during my search was at one of my favorite blogs, Brown Eyed Baker. Michelle always has great recipes and amazing photos. I did a little more research and kept seeing that some people like to add cornstarch to their alfajores, so I decided to base my recipe on the one I saw on Brown Eyed Baker, but replace a little of the flour with cornstarch.

These definitely get my seal of approval. I would definitely describe them as moreish - the more you eat the more you want. They are just the perfect couple of bites with a cup of coffee. I am going to have to send them to school with my girls tomorrow or they are going to be calling out to me all day.

Monday, October 1, 2012

I had good intentions of getting this post up on Sunday - still a little late, but not unforgivable. My computer had other ideas and kept showing me the swirl of death. It was a battle and I decided that we needed some time apart. I don't even want to think about having to replace it, but I have had it to the genius bar twice, and they tell me there is nothing wrong with it. Secretly I think they are not geniuses because this keeps happening. I decided to post this even though it is late, because to me every day is National Coffee Day.

In honor of National Coffee Day I decided to make some coffee-infused oatmeal cookies. Those who are familiar with my blog probably remember that I kind of have a thing for a particular brand of coffee from here in Hawaii - to the point where I don't want to drink anything else. As someone who grew up as a tea-only drinker I am amazed at how much I have grown to love coffee. Who knew that a strictly tea-drinker could become such a coffee snob?

I also wanted to add a little crunch to the cookies. I love almonds, and recently found some cocoa roasted almonds - talk about a delicious snack that is good for you too! I decided that these would give the perfect crunch, as well as compliment the coffee flavor.

These cookies smelled so good as they were baking. I was afraid that there might be some burned fingers when they came out of the oven as my family did not want to wait for them to cool down before trying them. Once they were at least able to be held everyone dug in. They had a great flavor and just the right amount of crispness to softness a cookie should have, if you know what I mean. I kept thinking that these would be amazing sandwiched around some coffee ice cream. In fact that is what they will become tomorrow, if there are any left by then.